Drag-line excavating bucket



Oct. 11, 1932- o. R. HUMPHREYS ET Al. 1,882,147

DRAG LINE EXCAVATIN G BUCKET Filed se t'. 5/1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 0st. 11, 1932. R. HUMPHREYS ET AL. 1,832,147

DRAG- LINE EXCAVATING BUCKET Filed Sept. 5, '1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I P |H| x I '7 W anw'nlioc hreys preys Oct 11, 1932- 0.12. HUMPHREYS ETAL I 1,882,147

DRAG LINE EXCAVATING BUCKET Filed Sept. 5, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 #{iljlllk O.R.Hum1)hreys Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF cE oMAR a. numrnnnvs AND. WALTER G. HUMHIHREYS, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA DRAG-LINE nxcnvnriive' UCKET Application filed September 5, 1928. Serial No. 304,128.'

V. The present invention relates to improve ments in-drag line bucket excavators and refers more particularly to the chain and cable connectors therefor. v

An object of the invention is to provlde improved connectorswhereby chains of stock sizes may be attached to the bucket w thout requiring welding, blacksmithing or any labor further than simply attaching the chalns 39 to the bucket. V p .7 V

Another object of the invention resides n providing an improved means whereby a cable may be attachedto the bucket without the use of the U-shaped clips.

A furtherobject of" theinvention resides in providing an improvedspreader bar in conjunction with the bail chain ofthe bucket whereby the chains may be operatlvely associated with the bar without the use of welding or other processes. A still further object of-the invention is to provide improved means whereby stocksize chains may belattached to the dump line sheaveor pulley Without undue labor. l/Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described'hereinafter, and will be more partieularly pointed out inthe claim appended.

hereto. I

In the drawings, wherein like symbolsre 7 fer to like or corresponding parts throughout the severalviews,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drag line bucketwith the improved connectors and spreader bar. I V

Figure 2 is a side view sheave connectors. Figure 3 is an end view-of the same.

of the improved Figure 4: is a plan view of a drag-line chain connector.

F igure 5 is an edge view thereof with parts broken away.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a'bail-chain connector.

Figure 7 is an edge view of the same with parts broken away.

Figure Sis a side view of a spreader bar connector.

a Figure 9 is anend view of the same.

Figure is a top plan" view of thedevice shown in Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a side view *of a cable con;

nector, and

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the same. 1 Referring :more particularly to the drawings and for the present to Figure 1,20 designates a bucket formed of sheet iron or other material and. possessing substantial weight.

' The bucket is provided with the open ended hood 21 having the cutting edge 22, at its lower portion and'the rounded arch 23 at its upper portion. The hood'2l is open at both ends so as to receive material there- .throughfor deposit in the bucket and to permit of the dumping of the bucket through said hood. p

Bail ears 24 aremounte d at the sides of the bucket 20, preferably rearwardlyof the the bucket a tendency to tiltforwardly about the pins 25which pivotally secure the chain The bail chains are k spreader bar 28.

The connecept apart by the The upper ends of the bail chains 27 are secured in the sheave connector 29 which receives :the hook 30. for supporting and for raising and lowering thev bucket. At the sides of the-hood 21 are eye the drag chain connector s 31 for receiving s 32. The drag chains are shown at 33 and are coupled to the connectors 32 at their rear ends andto other similar connectors 34 at their forward ends. The connectors 34 areattached to the threeway drag clip 35, the latter being attached to a drag-line (not shown).

Upon the arch 23 of the hood 21 is disposed aclip 36 for pivotally holding a cable connector-37 having secured'thereto a cable 38- which is trained about the sheave 39 carried by the sheave connector 29.

cable. 38 extends forwardly from the sheave The dump line 39 toa cable connector 40, similar in construction to the connector 37 This forward connted in the drag I nector/LO is pivotally mou clip 35'.

Referring now to Figu res 2 and 3 the 7 central portion of the'bucket so as to give sheave connector 29 is shown as having an eye 41 at its upper end to receive the hook 3O il- I lustrated in Figure 1. Other laterally extending eyes 42 and 43 are carried by the connector 'member for vthe purpose of fitting within the plates of the sheave to receive the pins44j and 45 by which the sheave isisecured to the connector member 29.

The lower portion of this connector member is provided with downwardly divergent portionsfeach of which is bifur'catedand formed with the parallel spaced arms46 and- 47 to each receive therebetween the upper link 48 of one of the bail chains. 1:; I h

The arms 46 and 47 are perforated" 1 5 ceive the pin 49 which passes also throng h the link 48 and serves to hold'the chain in the connector member; Across lockingi'p-in 5O sgextends through. oneiof the arms 46iand through the pin 49; The free exposed ends of the arms-46 and'47 are provided withthe arepr'ovided with the eyes 54 for receiving 7 a p1n'55 which extends" throughtheldragclip nd y w ee ie V a I e.

The portions of the connectors which'ree 'ceive the chains are bifurcated or in" other words provided with" the spaced parallel arms 55, and56 whichare perforated to receive: the pin 57 rpassing through thearm's and through the end link'58 "ofth e drag which the connectors are pivoted chain which is received between the-arms, 55

and 56. -At 59 is shown the locking pin passing through the pivotal The -ends of the arms 55. and'56' areprovided with'the curved and rounded recesses or cut away portions 60 to conform to and receive the convex end portion of thelink 61 of 'thedrag chain which is'next adjacent thee'nd. link 58. I

Figures 6 and 7 theconnectors'26 atr the s ide portionsof the bucket'are shownto fol- :26 ,are bifurcated or provided with the spaced low a similar construction lThese connectors 26 are provided with the. eyes 62 to fit .within the bails 24 and receive the pivotal pins 25. The upper-portions; of the connectors arms 63 and 64 and withthe removablepins 65-which arexlocked inplace by'the locking -pins66. The-end links ot the bail chains are represented at;67 and the next adjacent, links at 68. The recesses or cut away -p' or- :tions in the: ends-of the arms 63 and 64Yare spreader bar 28.

shown at 69 as receiving the adjacent end portion of the link 68.

In Figures 8, 9 and 10, the end members of the spreader bar 28 are shown. members are formed with the shanks 7 O having the openings or perforations 71 to receive the rivets or other fastenings 72 by which These the end connectors arefasteried to the ofthe connectors 7 O are bifurcated, as shown ifiFivgrurlo. a

, .The bifurcated arms 72 and 73 are peculiarly shaped. In the innermost portion be 1 tween the.arms,?a vertically elongated socket 74 is provided to receive one side of the chain Thefree terminal portions link 75 forming-part of oneof the bail chains 27; Attheupper andrlower portions of-the' arms'72f and 7 3 are cut away portions or re? cesses'? 6 and 77 for the; purposeofreceiving the rounded convex adjacent end portions of which connects" the links of the bail "chain with the link specified at 7 5.- J

Referring more'particula'rly to Figuresl h is shown in which the shank portion is represented at f 7 8. This'shank portion isyprovidedwithan ey'e79 at oneend which is the and 12"0ne of the cable connectors 37 eye'which receives thepiv ot'pin' passing through the clip '36; At the other end of the shank 7 8 is an upstanding eyev 80 having its axfis disposed at substantially v right angles to the eye 79 andthis e'ye 80 extends: above the shank 7i8 'to admitof receiving the cable 38, "After passing through the eye the cable is wound one or more times about the shank 78 and the terminalend ofthe cable :is inserted beneath the longitudinal portion 81 thereof and. such terminal end of the cable is provided with a binding or' enlargeinentl82i Whenaj pull is exerted upon the cable'38, the v l opefd up portion 81' will tend tobind down upon the insertedendportion and thus the cable will be constrained to more tightly grip the shank 78.

over thepulleyof a swinging boom on a trav;

cling derrick platformi Also the drag line cable (not shown) 'which is attached'to the clip'35is arove over a pulley andwinding Inth'e operation ofthefinvention the cable (not' shown) which'is attached to the 'hook, 30 at the top of the bail chains 27 is-rove drum on the traveling derrick, Bygthis means the bucket 24 maybe drawn forward to load it, employing'its great weight and its cuttingedge 22. The bucketand hood will of the supporting bailchain connections. Be-.

cause of this point of support, the bucket I will more :readilys'coopand load the'earth or other material. p i j Aftjer'loading', the bucket is raised through the hook 30 and its'connection. So long-as the drag. line icable-atthe end of thethi'eeA-P" normally be inclined downwardly since the center of gravity ofthe bucket is forwardly bucket, the cable connected with the clip 35 is slackened, thereby slackening also the dump line cable 38. The heavier end 21 of the bucket will promptly tilt and deposit its contents.

The various chain connectors enable stocksize chains to be attached thereto. Unless the recesses or cut away portions were 'pro-- vided in the ends of the bifurcated arms, stock size chains could not be attached unless a suificient elongated link were first welded to the chain as a substitute for the end link.

These elongated links and the 1' ob of welding" a are expensive and require time and skilled labor. It will also be noted that the con struction, as for instance shown in Figure 5, provides for great thickness of the lower arm 55 adjacent the recess 60 to withstand the stresses set up in the chain links. With the invention no additions or alterationsto the usual chain are necessary.

We do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, and proportions of the various parts, and obviously changes could be made in the construction herein described without dep arting from the spirit of the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is I A spreader bar for a drag line excavating bucket with ears on opposite sides and bailv chains pivotally mounted in said ears and extending upwardly at the sides of the bucket for supporting the same, comprising a bar adapted to extend between said chains in spaced relation above the bucket, end members for the bar, each of said end members having a shank adapted to lie against the side of the bar, rivets securing the shanks to the bar, each end member having a forked portion extending beyond the bar to receive a chain link in edgewise relation therethrough and having inwardly facing recesses in the upper and lower edges of the forked portion to accommodate the rounded ends of the adjacent links of the chain, each forked portion also havingan intermediate transverse opening for receiving a pin therethrough for passage through the edgewise disposed link to hold the spreader bar to the chains.

In testimony whereof, we have afixed our signatures.

OMAR R. HUMPHREYS. WALTER G. HUMPHREYS. 

